As electronic data storage systems have become more common, systems for distributing such records according to a client/server based architecture have also been employed to facilitate efficient access to stored records. These client/server systems often limit access to data based on access privileges assigned to particular users. Best security practices typically limit the accessibility of data to users with a valid “need to know” in order to limit the scope of a data breach in the event a user's account credentials are compromised. However, many environments exist where it is impossible or impractical to limit user access to records where there is a need to know, such as in cases where the user's need to know may change multiple times in the course of a day. While access to particular files may be been limited previously through limiting physical access to documents, the move to electronic files has introduced new challenges without a clear manual analog. The inventors have recognized a need for a technological solution to the problem of providing data access privileges in an efficient manner.
Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, Applicant has solved many of these identified problems by developing a technical solution that is embodied by the present invention, which is described in detail below.